When Two Different Times Collide
by Queen Madisyn of Narnia
Summary: Sequel to "Trapped In My Own Fantasy". Paige and Erik are engaged, and their wedding is in a week. But a disaster just might change that, and once the damage is done, will they ever see each other again? E/RP RP- Real Person
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Fate sucks you into your favorite movie, and then your life crashes. Burns. Is annihilated. Soon you're pretty much a waste of space, life, and everything in it. You sit around watching TV, more like just staring at it, eating popcorn, doing absolutely nothing. What else is there to do besides cry and scream?


	2. Chapter 2

Life was good. At the moment, I was laying on the swan bed, thinking about everything going on in my life. And, believe me, there was a _lot_.

I was getting married in one week. One stinking _week_! Insert nervous squeal here.

The past two months had been spent making preparations for the wedding. Madame Giry had been a big help; she booked the opera stage for that day, to Firmin and Andre's dismay; Madame Giry had told them nothing. She helped me write invitations to the few people invited; Meg, Madeline, Marisa, Kelly, Alexis, Cadence, Christine (that had been my idea; Erik was okay with it, surprisingly), and Raoul.

Raoul?

Christine invited him. There wasn't much we could do about that. Besides, Erik needed a best man for the night.

Best man? _Raoul_?

That had been Erik's idea. When he heard that Raoul was coming, he asked him to be his best man. Raoul was shocked, causing Erik to explain that he was happy for him and Christine, and grateful for being there for her. So Raoul was the best man.

I had 7 maids of honor (you can guess easily who they were). They were all thrilled- especially Christine; she insisted on helping as well.

Madame Giry and Christine also helped with the bridesmaid's dresses, best man's outfit, and even went to the trouble to decorate the opera stage.

"Can I see it?" I once asked Christine, referring to the decorations.

"No!" she exclaimed. "It's going to be a surprise!"

The wedding date was July 28th, a date I'd etch into my mind, a date I'd remember for eternity. And there was _afterwards _to think about…

But, right now, I was worried about the reception. We were holding it on the roof, just the group of us. Music, food, dancing…

Dancing. I wasn't a dancer. Not _that _kind of dancing, at least. Slow dancing. I was a ballet dancer, having taken it since I was about 5. But slow dancing? Especially with a wonderfully charming, perfect, _amazing dancer _like Erik.

Erik…

I smiled, something I often did while thinking about him. Erik was the best part of my life, the Edward to my Bella (did I _really _just bring Twilight into the subject _again_?), the Romeo to my Juliet, the list could go on.

It wasn't just some cheesy romance novel-type relationship with Erik. It was the truest kind of love in the world, even if we were a Twilight-type couple. We pretty much needed each other, our presence, love, trust, forgiveness, love, faithfulness, love, love, love… did I mention love? Okay, I'll admit, I'm getting a bit cheesy now. Just a bit, though…

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice someone enter. What brought me back into reality was Erik's arms wrapping around me.

I turned around, kissing him. "Hi," I said.

He smiled. "Hello. How was your day?"

"Pretty good," I said. "Though Christine is driving me crazy. She thinks dance lessons will help, but they really don't! I actually think I'm getting worse."

He chuckled softly. "You're a _wonderful _dancer."

"Only you would say that," I muttered.

It still surprised me how _normal _it felt to be engaged, married in a week's time. It felt natural, right, perfect. Absolutely perfect.

"I love you," I murmured.

"I love you, too," he repeated, kissing me softly. I fell asleep in his arms, surrounded in bliss, never wanting to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up the next morning in Erik's arms, as usual. This was becoming a sort of routine, a routine I hoped would continue.

I spent my entire morning with Erik. After eating one of his gourmet breakfasts, we sang along to a bit of _Don Juan Triumphant_, which I'm happy to say I helped him finish.

Right around lunchtime, I was dragged to Madame Giry's workshop by Christine, who wanted me to see the finished bridesmaid's dresses.

"They're beautiful," I marveled. The seven dresses were all pastels, seven different colors, with matching flowers decorating the neckline, and a satin bow tying in the back. "I love them."

"You'll love _your _dress even more," Madame Giry said. "Erik made it himself."

Madame Giry didn't mention, to my relief, that it was originally intended for Christine to wear, but we both knew that to be true. Christine would always be his first love, as much as I wanted to change that. But the past was behind us. I needed to focus on the future; July 28th to be exact.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Time passed. We did basically the same thing each day. Wake up, breakfast, wedding stuff, lunch, wedding stuff, dinner, wedding stuff, sleep. The only time Erik and I had to ourselves was during meals.

Thursday, three days from the wedding, was my bachelorette party. Christine was keeping every possible detail a secret, so I had no idea what to expect.

"It'll be fine," Erik assured me with a laugh, as I stepped into the gondola with Christine.

"Let's hope your right about that," I muttered.

It was amazing. Christine had decorated the roof head to toe in pastel décor, glowing lanterns hanging from handmade streamers, bouquets of flowers in every corner, it was impossible to take in all at once.

"It's wonderful," I breathed.

All my friends had been waiting for me there, too, along with Madame Giry.

"We've got everything planned and ready," Christine said excitedly. "This is going to be amazing! Oh, I love weddings!"

I'd never pictured Christine as a wedding planner, though now I thought otherwise.

A large gust of wind interrupted Christine's plans, knocking over a few flowers. At first, we assumed it was nothing, and continued.

But it was something, all right. The gust of wind came back, and back, over and over, larger each time. Soon, it felt as if there was a tornado on the roof.

Then I noticed only _six _of my friends were there, not _seven_.

Crap.

"Where's Alexis?" I shouted my question at Kelly over the deafening wind.

"I don't know!" she answered. "She said something about being homesick, and a window."

I cursed under my breath. She'd gone back to our time; apparently she'd found that fateful window. It was very reassuring to know that when one left, disaster strikes the rest.

Or…

Maybe, if one leaves…

The rest go back with them.

"_NO_!" I screamed, fighting back tears. I can't go back, not now, not _ever_!

We left the roof at lightening speed, forgetting the party above us.

The wind followed us _inside_. It grabbed at the time travelers among the group, managing to force Madeline and Marisa back.

"They're not going to die or anything," I assured Kelly and Cadence. "They're being pulled back into the 21st century. That's where Alexis went, back through the window. Apparently, when one of us time travels, the rest of us follow."

"It makes sense," Kelly agreed. "When you four went through the window the first time, Alexis and I were practically being pushed through."

"So we go back," Cadence said. "What's the big deal?"

I looked at her incredulously.

"What?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing, I'm just getting _married _in three days!" I shouted. "Nothing much!"

"Oh," she said. "Yeah… that."

"That's going to be a problem," Kelly said nervously.

"I've got to find Erik," I said, sprinting the ever familiar distance to the catacombs.

"Paige!" they shouted.

But it was too late.

"Erik!" I screamed once inside the corridors.

"Paige?" his voice asked.

The wind was pulling me back now, with great force.

"Erik!" I screamed again. "Help!"

I heard footsteps as Erik ran towards my voice.

I could see the window now. Kelly and Cadence had been pulled into the corridor, and I watched them slip through the window, grabbing desperately at the walls.

Crap. I was next.

"Hurry!" I shouted, my voice growing weak with fear. I saw Erik appear at the end of the hallway. His eyes went wide with fear.

"Paige!" He sprinted toward me.

But it was too late.

Far too late.

With one last fearful, agonized glance at my fiancé, I was pushed through the window.


	4. Chapter 4

Silence.

Nothing but silence.

I fell to my air mattress, heart wrenching sobs escaping me before I could hold them back.

Gone.

Erik was gone.

The Opera Populaire was gone. Madame Giry, Meg, Christine, even _Raoul_, were all gone. The music, the simplicity, the beauty, the 18th century in general, was gone.

Erik was gone.

I had nothing to live for.

I'm going to warn you that I'm going a bit Bella on you right about now. But I couldn't really help it. What if this happened to you? What if you lost your only love, the one person that ever really _meant _something to you, the one person who seemed to understand you better than anyone. What if you lost your life purpose? What if there was a chance you'd never see your love again, not even in heaven? After all, as far as I was concerned, Erik was a character from a movie. What if you'd left everything you cared about in another time period? What if you left your heart there, too?

Would you have the strength to go on?

That's what I thought.

Erik was gone.

Gone.

_Gone_.

And all I had left was a ring to remind me that I wasn't insane.


	5. Chapter 5

Weeks passed.

Weeks turned into months.

I didn't notice.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Paige," my mom said one morning. "You seriously need a hobby. You used to spend all your time on the computer. Now you do _absolutely nothing_. Personally, I'd even be fine with you hogging the computer, at least you'd be _doing _something!"

I groaned. My mom had been on my case for weeks now.

I was a complete mess. I was antisocial all the time. I sat around, staring, not even bothering to care what I stared at. I was lifeless. A carcass.

Someone else had called themselves a carcass. I couldn't think, hear, or say their name anymore, or I'd completely lose it. It hurt to think about them.

It was Bella Swan all over again.

"Maybe you should go hang out with your friends," she suggested. "They're worried about you, you know. Madeline's been calling regularly to check on you."

Typical Madeline.

"You know, that sounds like a good idea," I said. "I'm going to go visit Madeline."

She smiled. "Bring your phone with you. And be home by supper."

Honestly, with the was I'd been acting lately, I could come home next week and she wouldn't care, as long as I was in a better mood.

I drove my new Honda down the familiar roads to Madeline's house. Did I mention I'd turned sixteen last week? Probably not. I hadn't even realized it was my birthday until my dad handed me the car keys. I'd been so out of it lately.

A couple tears leaked from my eyes as I thought of the fact that he'd missed it. Maybe he'd remember it, though. He never told me when his birthday was.

Thinking of him hurt. A lot. The first few weeks back were the worst, though. I woke up in the middle of the night screaming, wishing for him to reappear, or for me to go back. I never left my room, my face was constantly tear stained. I was seriously depressed.

But I was getting better, on the outside at least. I was getting pretty good at hiding my emotions. But I didn't go on You Tube anymore, for fear of clicking on the wrong video, hearing his voice, seeing his face, for more painful stabs in the hole that used to contain my heart.

I tried to forget. I really did. But being… engaged… kind of stuck to you. Especially when you still have the ring, just not the fiancé.

Yes, I still had the ring. I wore it on a chain around my neck as a reminder that I wasn't crazy, and he did exist. He was just in a different story, though.

Where's Meggie Folchart when I need her?

Inkheart humor. Really pathetic Inkheart humor.

I pulled up along the sidewalk, climbing out, and walking up the steps to Madeline's house.

She immediately opened the door. "PAIGE!" she screamed. "Oh my gosh, it's so good to see you! I was so worried! Are you okay? You still have the-" she cut the sentence short, for fear of me bursting into tears if she mentioned the ring.

"Come on in," she said. We went up to her room silently.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"…Better," was all I could say. "Better than the first few weeks."

"Alexis is beating herself up, you know," she said quietly.

"_Merde_," I hissed quietly. "I'll talk to her."

"Actually…" she said, "she said she never wants to talk to you again. Apparently you two are no longer friends."

Crap.

"Well, that's just great," I groaned. "Anything else bad happen?"

"Not really. Marisa's almost done with surgery. But she'll have to use the wheelchair for a few more weeks." Madeline paused. "Hey, do you want to spend the night tonight?"

"No thanks," I said softly. "No sleepovers, since…."

"Ah…" She understood. "I don't blame you."

We talked for hours. Madeline told me all about the symphony she was auditioning for, the acting company Cadence was working with, and a whole lot more.

"Are you really okay?" she asked before I left. "I mean, I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I'm worried…."

"No," I said. "I do want to talk about it. I'm sick and tired of hiding in a shell, only coming out when it's time for supper."

She grimaced. "How have you really been?" she asked quietly.

"Terrible," I began. "Lifeless. Emotionless. Like my life has absolutely no meaning without him, which is true. Everything was going perfect, life couldn't possibly get better, and then it just stopped. Crashed. I _miss _him, Madeline. With all my heart and mind and soul and spirit. I have _nothing _without him. I _need _him." I paused. "I feel like Bella Swan."

She managed a laugh at the last sentence. "I'm sorry, Paige. I'm sorry that your miserable. I'm sorry things are getting worse, and not better. I'm sorry that I can't help."

I smiled weakly. "It's okay, Madeline. This is my problem."

That night, I woke up screaming.

_Where are you?_ I thought, thinking about him. _I need you._

For the first time in months, I said his name.

"_Erik_….."

And the sobs followed.


	6. Chapter 6

August 25th. The first day of school.

Oh, joy.

As if my life isn't complicated enough that we just _had _to add school to it.

The first day of school dragged on for_ever_. When lunch finally came around, I was entirely relieved.

On my way to the cafeteria, though, I accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry," I said. I looked at the person I'd bumped into.

"Kasey?" I asked. "Kasey… Gilles?"

"Paige?" he asked. "Hey, good to see you."

I smiled, my first genuine smile in months. "Hey, Kasey. Haven't seen you in a while."

He nodded. "Hey, want to eat lunch with me?"

"Sure," I agreed. Maybe things _were _getting better…

We talked the entire time. We caught up on each other's going on's. You see, we'd been friends since the sixth grade, and hadn't seen each other for a while thanks to his dad's job transfer.

"Madeline told me you've been really out of it lately," he said.

I groaned. "Not you, too," I complained.

Remind me to personally Punjab Madeline later, okay?

Punjab… _merde_.

Here come the tears.

Moving on to the chapter…

"Well, my… cousin… he died recently," I lied, hoping he wouldn't confront my mom about it. "In a car crash."

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly. "What was his name?"

Crap. "Uh… Erik," I said.

I said his name.

_I said his name_.

Tears immediately sprang up in my eyes.

"I have to go," I said. "See you later."

With that, I rushed out of the cafeteria as fast as possible, looking frantically for a place to be alone and cry.


	7. Chapter 7

My mom spent most of Saturday morning bugging me to death.

"When's your date with Kasey?" she asked.

"It's not a date!" I exclaimed.

"You're going out to eat," she said. "With Kasey."

"Yeah…"

"By yourselves."

"Mom!" I yelled.

She grinned like a little kid, returning to washing the dishes.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Kasey and I met at Johnny Rockets, a little restaurant next to a Harkins theater. We had lunch there, talking nonstop.

What bothered me was the very distant memory of eating lunch with _him _on the top of the opera, or in the catacombs. It nagged at the edges of my mind, when a perfect picture of his face suddenly appeared.

Tears began to leak from my eyes.

"What's wrong?" Kasey asked, worried.

"Come with me," I said. We went behind one of the stores, in a sort of alley.

"I didn't tell you the truth," I began. "I don't have a cousin named… Erik… and he's not dead. The real reason I'm like this is impossible to believe. _Please believe me_. I've got _no one _else to turn to."

He nodded.

"On the last day of ninth grade, at my celebration sleepover, my friends and I were watching _Phantom of the Opera_. I wished I could meet the Phantom and change his sad fate into a happy one. So my friends and I were sent into the story. Yeah, that's the unbelievable part. Well, I told Christine to stay away from the Angel of Music, and the Phantom, his name is Erik, got really mad. So he kidnapped me. But we sort of fell in love, and after a couple weeks, he proposed. We were going to get married on July 28th, but we were suddenly sent back into our time."

"How do you know it wasn't a dream?" he asked.

"Because of this," I said. I held up the chain with my ring on it. "This is the engagement ring he gave me."

I burst into tears, unable to hold them back any longer.

"I have to go," I said, running in the direction of my car.

_I just _had _to bring up that subject, didn't I? _I thought, driving away while blinking back tears. The most painful subject in the world.

I often wondered if he loved me, if he remembered me, if he'd forgive me for leaving him.

_Well_, I thought, _as long as he's stuck in your head, why don't you enjoy your memories of him?_

As soon as I got home, I jumped into bed, squeezed my eyes shut, and dreamt of Erik. I dreamt I was back in the Opera Populaire, listening to his music, laying in his arms at night, kissing him… it was all so vivid.

And I just _had _to wake up, didn't I? Only one thought stayed with me the rest of the day.

Erik.

Erik.

Erik, Erik, Erik, Erik…


	8. Chapter 8

School plays. I used to love them.

Now, I hate them.

And it's all thanks to Kasey.

So, my school's drama club was performing a famous musical. I didn't know what it was, though, since I don't listen to school announcements. Well, Kasey thought it would be a good idea to buy us tickets to go see it.

He thought much differently afterwards.

Because the school play was ever-so-ironically _Phantom of the Opera_.

Funny. At least, Kasey thought it was.

But it really wasn't.

Because I left in tears.

**A/N: Okay, sorry the chapters are so short! I'm just skipping the horribly boring parts and getting to the wonderfully epic ending I have planned.**


	9. Chapter 9

~Three Months Later~

Christmas. Supposedly the most wonderful time of the year. But not this year, not for me. If I was with him, it would be.

But I wasn't, was I?

On Christmas Eve, we celebrated with some of our friends from church, the Scott's. My friend, Sidney Scott, and I spent the evening talking about school and how stupid it was.

"My homeroom teacher hates me, I'm sure," Sidney told me.

A sudden knock came at the front door.

My mom answered it. Moments later, she came back with a box and a rose. She handed them to me.

"It's for you," she said.

Heart racing, I opened the box.

Inside was a locket. The chain and locket were gold tinted, but engraved on the back was a name.

_Erik_.

"There's someone here to see you," she said, smiling happily. I groaned, putting on the locket, picking up the rose, and stepping out the front door into the snowy winter evening.

The driveway, yard, and house had been completely covered in snow. I regretted not bringing my jacket out with me.

It had started snowing once again, but only a bit, like little flurries of snow. They added to the blanket covering the ground, and decorated my hair and crimson sweater with white flakes.

As far as I could see, there was no one there. I smiled. I'd taken to like being completely alone. It made it easier to think about him without breaking down into tears.

Something that helped ebb the pain was singing. When singing, I could hear his voice, like he was standing beside me. I only sang when I was alone, for fear that if I stopped singing and his voice disappeared, I'd hate for anyone to see me cry that much.

So I started to sing. I sang the first song that came to mind, which happened to come from Phantom of the Opera. I'd changed the lyrics a bit, but it still worked.

_You were once my lone companion_

_You were all that mattered._

_You were once a friend, a phantom_

_Then my world was shattered._

_Wishing you were somehow here again,_

_Wishing you were somehow near._

_Sometimes it seemed, if I just dreamed,_

_Somehow you would be here._

_Wishing I could hear you're voice again,_

_Knowing that I never would._

_Dreaming of you helped me to do_

_All that you dreamed I could._

_Passing bells and sculpted angels,_

_Cold and monumental_

_Seem for you the wrong companions_

_You were warm and gentle._

_Too many months, fighting back tears_

_Why can't the past just die?_

_Wishing you were somehow here again,_

_Knowing we must say goodbye._

_Try to forgive, teach me to live_

_Give me the strength to try!_

_No more memories_

_No more silent tears_

_No more gazing across the wasted years_

_Help me say goodbye_

_Help me say goodbye!_

I sat in the snow, crying softly, when I heard a voice sing, "Paige, Paige…"

I looked up, and in my mind, I could hear his voice.

"_Paige_….."

I wept longer still, standing up and heading for the house, when I heard Kasey sing,

_No more talk of darkness,_

_Forget these wide eyed fears._

_I'm here, nothing can harm you,_

_My words will warm and calm you._

_Let me be your freedom, _

_Let daylight dry your tears._

_You're safe, no one will find you,_

_I'll guard you and I'll guide you…_

Laughing softly, I sang,

_Say you love me every waking moment_

_Turn my head with talk of summertime_

_Say you want me with you here, beside you_

_Promise me that all you say is true_

_That's all I ask of you._

I snapped out of it, turning away from Kasey and walking to the house.

That didn't keep me from hearing him sing,

_Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime_

_Let me lead you from your solitude_

_Say you need me with you here, beside you_

_Anywhere you go, let me go, too_

_Paige, that's all I ask of you._

I turned, grimaced, and sang.

_I must go, they'll wonder where I am…_

But I didn't ask Kasey to come with me.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Okay, I've been getting complaints about Erik not being in it.**

**So I'm skipping to the epic ending, kay?**

~0~0~0~0~0~

Three weeks after Christmas, the snow outside was melting, and it was getting slightly warmer. I was sitting in the living room at my new piano I'd gotten from my grandmother, playing every possible song I'd recalled from my days with him. I played the entire _Don Juan Triumphant _score, the score from _Hannibal_, and every song from _Phantom of the Opera_, all from ear and memory.

I have pretty good memory. Can you tell?

My little sister, a eleven year old named Hayley, came into the room while I played _Music of the Night_.

"You need to play this stuff at my birthday party," she told me. I grinned.

"Maybe," I told her.

"Play another song," she commanded, gesturing to the piano.

I sat down again, placing my fingers on the keys and playing _Masquerade_. Hayley stared in awe at me, as I'd never touched a piano in my life, yet it sounded pretty good. Of course, living with him caused his musical abilities to rub off on me, I guess.

Which made me realize how much I needed him.

After barely getting through _Masquerade_, I left the room, telling Hayley she could play the piano, as long as she didn't break it or anything.

I went into the front yard, walking around aimlessly. Remnants of snow crunched under my feet as I stepped into the driveway, about to get in my car, when I saw her. It was a pretty strange sight; after all, she looked like she'd just stepped out of the 18th century. Which, of course, she had.

It was Meg. Meg Giry. She was wearing a ballerina outfit, hair pulled back with a ribbon, point shoes on her feet. She was running toward me.

"MEG!" I screamed, running towards her, hugging her hard.

"Paige!" she exclaimed. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"

"You, too!" I exclaimed. "Come on in, you must be freezing."

It took a while to explain what Meg was doing here to my mom. Eventually, Meg and I were left alone.

"How have you been?" I asked.

"Very good," she said. "Christine and Raoul have a child, they were wed a month after you left. It's a boy, named Phillipe. Mother is, well, mother, ballet practices nonstop, you know how that goes."

I smiled. Madame Giry was like that.

"How is," I asked slowly, "he?"

She frowned. "That's why I came here," she said. "He's been… terrible. He screams your name all the time. He doesn't eat much, and spends a lot of time on the roof and in his lair, nowhere else. He hasn't collected his salary since you left. Mother has been comforting him this whole time, but he refuses to be comforted."

"I've been much the same," I said. "But no matter how hard I try, I can't find my way back to him."

"He needs you," she continued. "And he's finally given up on you coming back." Meg shivered. "Tonight," she said shakily, "he's planning to jump off the top of the opera and kill himself!"

"NO!" I yelled. "Meg, we have to get back!"

"Wait!" a voice called.

Crap.

"Go _away_, Kasey!" I said, pushing him aside as Meg and I climbed into the Honda.

"The window is in the Higly Performing Arts Center," said Meg.

"Paige," Kasey pleaded. "You could get hurt. What if he doesn't want to be saved?"

"This is my _fiancé _you're talking about!" I shouted. "Go. Away!"

Sighing in defeat, he stepped away.

"I thought you were smarter than that!" he called as I drove away.

We hit basically all the green lights at the stoplights. Eventually we pulled up to the Higly Performing Arts Center. A dance studio named Arizona Edge was hosting their dance recital here tonight. Meg would fit in perfectly.

She led me backstage, climbing up the ropes. I followed.

"Hey!" a stage crewman shouted. "Get off there!"

"Hurry!" she whispered.

Once at the top, she gestured to a pattern in the wall. She shoved it aside.

The smell of perfume and sweat seeped through.

The ballet dormitories!

Ignoring the crewman below, we climbed through the window, never to be seen again.

Meg and I rushed through the opera, saying very brief "hello's" to our friends. We sprinted up the winding staircases, finally reaching our destination.

Meg opened the door. "Come on!" she said.

We stepped outside. Apparantly it was winter here, too, as there was still snow on the roof. It was snowing still, tiny flakes drifting earthward.

I scanned the roof. He was nowhere in sight.

Then I spotted him. He was standing behind the rail, preparing to climb onto it, then to jump.

But I couldn't let that happen, could I?

"_What _exactly do you think you're doing?" I asked, walking up to him.

Slowly, he turned around to face me.

And in that moment, I nearly died of happiness.

We stared at each other for a while, shocked. Tears were rushing down our cheeks as we hugged each other, unable to let go. I barely noticed Meg leave, a smile etched permanently on her face.

"Paige," Erik murmured.

"Erik," I whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I left you."

He smiled.

"But that doesn't matter anymore, does it?" he asked.

I shook my head. "It most certainly does not."

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," I whispered back, kissing him for the first time in half a year.


	11. Chapter 11

We spent roughly an hour on the roof, unable to absorb the fact that we were together once more.

"You were going to jump," I murmured.

"There was basically no point in living, without you," he said simply.

"Same here," I said. "But that doesn't mean you go around jumping off the top of opera houses."

He smiled. "Let's not think about the past, shall we?" he asked.

I nodded fervently.

He looked down at the ground, troubled.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Well," he said slowly, "if you still love me…"

"Never doubt my love for you," I growled, wondering how he could possibly think I didn't love him.

He smirked, then sighed. "If you want to stay, well, you still have the ring."

I smiled. "Of course I'm staying. I love you, I'm never leaving you_ ever _again, and, well, I honestly have nowhere else to go."

He laughed, hugging me again. I craned my head upward and kissed him, smiling happily. If I'd ever been happy before, even when he proposed, it was nothing compared to how I felt now.

He sighed, pulling away. "I guess I'm going to have to start over with control."

I laughed. "Not for long," I reminded him. "We'll be married soon, and everything will be perfect."

"I can live with that," he chuckled, kissing me again.

And I was in heaven once more.

**A/N: *Madi ducks as phans throw fruit at her* Sorry this was so short! Every time I tried to make it longer, it just didn't sound right!**

**Story's almost over, folks! It's not as long as I anticipated, but it should work. **

**I need your opinion. I'm not considering writing a sequel; you'll see why. But at the end, if you want to read a sequel, tell me, and **_**MAYBE **_**I'll write one. Maybe.**


	12. Chapter 12

Nine Months Later…

~0~0~0~0~0~

I'm still with Erik, and loving every minute of it. Days after I returned with Meg, Erik and I got married. I know- I still can't believe it. That day, January 8th, was _the best _day of my life.

Weeks after our marriage, I became pregnant. Erik was a nonstop apology machine, and every time he got mad at himself for making me pregnant, I told him to shut up, that I was happy, and he was dampening my cheery mood. He laughed, but, eventually, shut up.

According to Madame Giry, the baby should be coming any day now. I'm super excited, and a bit nervous, as is Erik. Will I be a good mother? I'm sixteen, for crying out loud!

"You'll be the best mother there ever was," Erik assured me continuously.

Christine and I were getting along really well. Her son, Philippe, was adorable, and taking care of him was good practice. Christine was happy for Erik and I, that Erik was happy again, and for the child to come.

Erik and I were on pretty good terms with Raoul, too. A shout out to all Raoul haters- he isn't that bad!

Today, I was laying in bed, my hands on my stomach. Erik was out shopping, and I was supposed to be resting. But I couldn't sleep. I didn't know exactly why, but I just couldn't.

A few minutes later, Madame Giry was entering the lair.

"Paige?" she called.

"In the bedroom," I called back.

Madame Giry walked in, smiling.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm perfectly fine," I said.

"Meg says hello," she said. "She'll be visiting soon."

I smiled. Meg and I had quickly become best friends, as Christine and I had, too.

I instinctively wrapped my arms around my stomach. It had become a habit, though I'm not entirely sure why.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," I said with a smile. "And then there's Erik…"

Madame Giry frowned. "He's still beating himself up, isn't he?"

I laughed. "You could say that. He's still pretty upset with himself."

Madame Giry glanced behind her. "Speaking of Erik…"

I smiled as Erik entered the bedroom.

"I better get going," she said. "Ballet doesn't teach itself, you know."

"If only it did," I joked. With that, Madame Giry left.

"How are you?" Erik asked seriously, sitting beside me.

I sat up. "Perfectly fine," I answered.

He relaxed a little, smiling.

"Why," I asked, "are you so mad at yourself?"

He sighed. "You know why."

"I just don't understand," I said. "Everything's so _perfect_, and you're so upset. I don't care, Erik. We've been through this a dozen times. It doesn't matter what our child looks like, not to me."

It felt so right, calling the baby "our child". It was, and when the baby was born, it would have a wonderful home, with a wonderful father, and, hopefully, a pretty good mother, too.

That night, as I was about to fall asleep in Erik's arms, I felt a sharp pang in my stomach, and knew immediately what was happening.

"Erik…" I said shakily.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly as he sat up straight in bed, his eyes wide. For once, his concern wasn't far off.

"The baby, Erik," I said slowly, my voice cracking. "It's time."

~0~0~0~0~0~

**A/N: Well, that's all, folks! See you later!**

**Erik: Not so fast. *twirls around Punjab lasso***

**Me: Fine. I'll post an epilogue, but that's all.**

**Seriously, people, my brain's not working as well as it does at the start of stories. So as soon as the writer's block disappears, the epilogue will be posted.**


	13. Epilogue

**Erik's POV:**

I paced outside the bedroom door, worried sick. I'd ran as fast as possible to the ballet dormitories, where I woke Meg and Christine. Christine came down with me to comfort Paige, while Meg woke Madame Giry.

"Make yourself useful and get me some hot water," Madame Giry had told me. I'd complied, as long as it helped Paige.

I could hear her whimpering and crying out in pain through the door. I felt so sick, so terrible. How could I do such a thing to her? She had been so brave throughout her pregnancy, but now, everything was different.

And, as far as I was concerned, it was my fault.

Christine came out of the bedroom several times to comfort me.

"She'll be fine," Christine assured me.

I could only hope she was right.

Minutes passed. Minutes turned into hours. I passed the time worrying and pacing.

Finally, some time after I'd given up on keeping track of time, Christine came back out, a smile plastered permanently on her face.

"It's high time you met your daughter," she said happily.

My jaw dropped. "It's a girl?"

Christine nodded, opening the door. Hesitantly, I stepped in.

Paige was laying under the velvet sheets, smiling. In her arms was the most precious sight I'd ever seen. The baby girl had rosy cheeks and a bit of brown hair, like her mother, but green eyes, like her father. Me. The baby was crying slightly, but stopped to stare at her surroundings.

Slowly, I sat down next to Paige. She handed me our daughter.

_Our _daughter.

"What should we call her?" I asked softly.

Paige beamed. "I've been thinking… I like the name, Elisabeth."

I thought about it. "I agree," I said.

"_Elisabeth_," she mused. "Elisabeth Marianne."

I smiled down at my wife. "The perfect name."

Madame Giry, Meg, and Christine left, but not before leaving instructions on how to care for the baby. Christine was going to come back in the morning to check on Paige and Elisabeth, and Madame Giry was going to work on baby clothes.

"I've been considering last names, too," Paige told me as I lay the baby down in a cradle I'd made for her.

"Belle Nuit," she said.

"Belle Nuit…" I repeated. "It suits us."

"Elisabeth Marianne… Belle Nuit…" she murmured before falling asleep.

I watched her fall asleep, crawling under the sheets next to her, pulling her into my arms and singing to her in her sleep.


End file.
